As many in the Region continue to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, having a secure and strong wireless network connection is more important now than ever. NITCO’s underground construction team has continued to serve Northwest Indiana and surrounding communities through thick and thin, ensuring the Region continues to move forward together.
Made up of network technicians with decades of industry expertise, the underground team performs maintenance and installations throughout Northwest Indiana. Demand for highspeed broadband networks is continuing to climb, so NITCO technicians provide quick, efficient hands-on work on fibers and cables buried underground.
Because of the work they do, NITCO’s underground network technicians have a dangerous job. Joey King, who leads both NITCO’s underground and aerial crews, emphasized the importance of safety and procedure when his underground crew begins a job.
“The work the underground construction crew does can be dangerous, as the hazards aren’t always visible,” King said. “We are crossing electric, gas, and other utility lines when locating the fiber and cables. It takes time, patience, and safety precautions to do the job right and safely.”
Before construction begins, the underground crew locates all gas, electric, and utility lines in the area they’re working in, establishing where and how they are able to start digging to find and maintain or install a fiber optic line or cable.
“You find the lines and get the marks down before you start drilling so you know exactly how far down you have to drill,” King said. “We steer the drill from above ground, so it’s important that we have at least a foot of clearance around gas, electric, and water lines to be safe.”
As a lead provider for school districts, governments buildings, businesses, and cities throughout Northwest Indiana, NITCO’s network technicians work diligently to ensure connections are working as they should to keep the Region and beyond connected.
“Every job is different, so it’s crucial that we are prepared before, during, and after we begin to drill and work on the fibers or cables,” he continued.
On a recent job on Route 2 in Valparaiso, network technicians Glenn and Scott Minix and Derek Carden began work on installing a new cable underground, a job that most people would think would take an assortment of large construction equipment and would involve traffic delays and more. Instead, the trio was confident in the work they were doing, establishing where to dig and exactly where to lay the cable expertly as a team who has been doing this work together for years.
“We all work well together,” King said. “Our guys are experts. They’ve been at this work for a long time, always with safety, efficiency, and teamwork on the mind.”
For more information about NTICO and the work the underground construction team does to ensure strong wireless connections that keep the Region secured and ready to take on every day, visit https://www.nitco.com/underground-locator.php.
